About us - and latest updates

The Save The Old White Bear group is a formal association representing all users of The Old White Bear in Hampstead, London which closed on February 2nd, 2014. The freehold of the pub was sold to Isle of Man company Braaid Ventures Ltd in July 2013 with the leasehold following soon after.

In December 2013 the Developers behind Braaid submitted an application to convert the pub into a six-bedroom house. Not long after, they submitted a further application for a Certificate of Lawfulness for a proposed change of use to a restaurant.

On February 10th 2014 Camden Council not only refused planning permission for residential conversion, they also issued an immediate Article 4 Direction preventing the pub from being classified as a restaurant without a further full planning application being submitted.

The Old White Bear's holding company Braaid Ventures is now ultimately owned by Melissa Remus Elliott who is also the owner of Heathside School in Hampstead.

In 2017 Camden Council granted permission for Mrs. Elliot to share the upper floors of the pub with their school (during school hours). This was granted on the understanding that the pub would also be reopened but to date this has yet to happen.

In 2018 boutique pub operator Bramley Bars was awarded a new premises licence to operate the pub but to date no new lease on the building has been issued to Bramley.

In 2019, Camden Council renewed the pub's Asset of Community Value status for a further five years.

We will continue to campaign and lobby but in the meantime we would like to thank the hundreds of people who wrote and objected to the various planning applications, the thousands that signed our petitions and everybody else who has helped and continues to support us.

One day we hope to buy you all a drink in a newly reopened Old White Bear!